Salalah: Business travellers and holidaymakers departing from Salalah Airport are discovering that the newly inaugurated gateway is more than just an architectural masterwork with state-of-the-art fixtures.
Tucked away in a discreet section of the departures hall is an airport lounge replete with amenities that take away a lot of the hassles and stressors synonymous with modern-day air travel.
The recently inaugurated Plaza Premium Lounge is a sanctuary for airport passengers to unwind in the face of flight delays, lengthy layovers or simply for an opportunity to relax before boarding. The new Plaza Premium Lounge is equipped with two VIP rooms, two shower rooms with amenities and a smoking room.
It offers music and television entertainment and has counters supplying ample food and beverage, racks of international newspapers and magazine, not to mention complimentary Wi-Fi, tempting travellers to chill in upscale settings ahead of the flight.
Covering an area of over 500 square metres, the impeccably appointed facility is spacious enough to accommodate as many as 100 guests at any given time. Available round the clock is a delectable spread of hot food, salads, sandwiches, snacks and fruit, complemented by an equally diverse selection of hot and cold beverages.
Together with its upscale ambience and cosy appeal, the Lounge makes for an inviting pre-boarding hub.
Like the popular Plaza Premium Lounge in Muscat International Airport, the Plaza Premium Lounge in Salalah is operated by a joint venture of Plaza Premium Group and Zahara Travel & Service Bureau LLC, the Sultanate’s leading destination and leisure management specialists.
As a global airport hospitality brand, Plaza Premium Group is the pioneer and industry leader in providing Premium Airport Services.
The Group currently operates in more than 130 locations across 35 airports globally, including Muscat and Salalah airports, serving over seven million travellers around the world annually.
“Sharing with Salalah Airport the passion and value of delivering excellent quality of services which exceed travellers’ expectation brought us here and I’m sure Plaza Premium’s best-in-class lounge facilities and services could create exceptional and seamless airport experience for all those travelling to this city,” said Mr. Song Hoi-see, Founder and CEO of Plaza Premium Group.
“Salalah is one of the most important gateways of the Sultanate of Oman, connecting travellers from different continents to the Middle-East. With the expansion of Salalah Airport and the continuous growth of passenger traffic through Oman, the launch of new Plaza Premium Lounge in Salalah will complement our existing lounge facilities in Muscat to better serve the surging number of travellers in the Middle East.”
Given the importance to this key facility, the lounge was opened by a senior management team of Oman Airports Management Company (OAMC) headed by its Chief Executive Officer Mr. Aimen Ahmed Al Hosni who was also the chief guest. Accompanying him were Mr. Samer Ahmed Al Nabhani, GM - Commercial Operations; Mr. Abdul Wahab Abdul Karim Al Balushi, GM – Security; and Mr. Salim Awadh Al Yafaei - GM Salalah Airport. Representing Zahara Airport Services was its director, Mr. Gautam Broota.
On the occasion of the inauguration of the lounge, Aimen Ahmed Al-Hosni stated, “We are proud to operate and manage the new Salalah Airport. Hence, we are working determinedly to develop a world-class airport with high standard of facilities and services.
As one of Oman’s gateway, the new Plaza Premium Lounge is one of the premium facilities for passengers to get a rich travel experience. With the expansion of Salalah Airport and the continuous growth of passenger traffic through Oman, I believe the new terminal at Salalah Airport will leave a memorable experience as part of the passengers’ journey.”
“The high-level presence underscored the Lounge’s importance to Salalah Airport’s overall offering as an aviation hub in the region,” said Mr. Broota.
“Premium lounges are an integral part of an airport such as Salalah that has been designed and built to serve as a gateway for tourist as well as business traffic into this fast-developing region of Oman. In operating a premium lounge at the airport, our goal is to enhance the travel experience of discerning passengers in line with the high-end positioning of our tourism industry,” he stated.
